Plug-in socket device



W. A. DAENZ PLUG-IN SOCKET DEVICE July 4, 1944.

Filed May 4, 1940 2 Sheets5heet l ilu l IN VENTOR WBLLIAM ADAENZ BY I ATTORNEY July 4, 9 w. A. DAENZ 1 2,352,618

PLUG-IN SOCKET DEVI CE I Filed May 4, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 7279. @7 W 74 j/ y I/ 15 INVENVTOR WILLIAM A DAENZ ATTOR N E? Patented July 4, 1944 UNITED: STATES PATENT OFFICE" PLUG-IN navrc'a William A. Daena, Philadelphia, .Pn... assignor to Hugh H. Eby, 1110., Philadelphia, 2a., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application May 4, 1940, Serial No. 333.305

g 2 Claims.

This invention relates to sockets for plug-in socket devices.

The invention is not confined to the shape or contour of a separate metallic contact and an insulating base but includes a unit containing both, in a manner that saves time,labor and material.

It is among the objects of this invention; to provide improvements in the art of socket receptacles or bases and in the electrical contacts therefor; to provide socket receptacles and contacts therefor which are readily manufactured with a .minimum of material and labor to produce complete units for the reception. of plug-in devices; to provide in the non-conducting molded base conducting contacts for plug-in prongs which are so constructed as automatically to be held inplace within the base after mere insertion therein; to provide a molded base, with co-acting means for holding the metal contacts in place; to provide female contacts having eflicient "plural line electrical engagement with a contact prong of a plug-in device; to provide recesses in the insulating base with molded integral barriers between adjacent recesses to prevent leakage between adiacent contacts; to avoid the excessivelength, bending and convoluting of the metal contacts; to provide a base having a minimum of plastic material and other objects of the invention which will become evident in the following description and the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a. part of this description: v Figs. 1 and 2 represent respect ely perspectives of two forms of the contacts f the inventionadapted to the forms of bases Figs. 4-8, showing the anchoring tongues pressed outward from slots in the body of the metal;

Figs. 3 and 4 represent plans respectively of the top and bottom of the molded base arranged,

on the partly arcuate line l.1, Fig. 3;

Fig. 8 represents a section of the molded base on the line 8-8, Fig.4;

Figs. 9, 10 and 11 represent respectively perspective views of three forms of contacts with the prolongation of the body olfset and anchoring tongues located at different positions on the body P ftion';

' Figs. 12' and 13 represent plan views of the top and bottom respectively of a modified molded base adapted toreceive the contacts of Figs. 9 and 10;.

Fiss i taken on relatively substantially normal lines of the base with contacts of Fig. 10 mounted therein:

Fig. 16 represents a fragmentary plan of the top of the base Fig. 12, showing in dotted lines a contact inserted havinga wide prolongation;

Fig. 17 represents a similar plan showing in dotted lines the contact of Fig. 11 in operative position therein; I

Fig. 18 represents a fragmentary section with the contact of Fig, liinserted in the base;

Fig. 19 represents a similar section, on small scale, with the contact of' Fig. 9 in operative position therein. v

While the forms'of contacts and molded bases in Figs. l-8, inclusive, differ slightly from those In carrying out this invention according to a preferred embodiment, there is provided on the body of the contact a stamped or resiliently projectlng part which retracts while being inserted into the base and then springs outward to be locked in place over a supporting or anchoring space forrelease and a shoulder or stop to limit place.

The contacts are inserted through'one face of v the moldedbase and held therein to make electrical'contact with the prongs of a tube insertedinto the contact through theother face of the,

base. i I

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2 the bodies of the female contacts l0 are bent or rolled to generally cylindrical or oval tubular shape leaving the longitudinally extending space H which permits expansion v thereof while receiving a contact prong with which latter it forms a close plural line contact asis an important ,feature of such contacts. The prolongation 1260f the contact body Ill provides a soldering terminal having preferably two holes for the attachment of an electrical cable thereto. The electrical connection is Hand 15 represent fragmentary sections ignated'by the numeral I3 although not identically formed or positioned. I The soldering tail l2 of the body It) (Fig. 1) may be punched to-form an offset l4 bent down and inward to form a single aperture for an electrical wire instead of the usual holes Fig. 2.,

It will be noted that the soldering tail I2, in the punch of the clip 14, provides a reentrant groove on the tail from theclip H to the end of the tail l2 (Fig. 1) so that a wire inserted through the tail will rest in the groove and can there be soldered. (See Fig. 6).

The body of the contact 10 preferably is not a complete or true circular tube; it is broken at the space H marking the terminals of the side arms of the contact. and is oiI-set from a true circle to permit electrical contacts longitudinally along the lines where the body including the side arms grips a prong closely. The particular shape of the body contact may be changed, and is not important herein, so long as the molded base can receive it, and it will take the thrust of a prong, and means are provided for anchoring it within the base.

Figs. 3-8 inclusive relate to the molded base 15 which is adapted to receive and hold the contacts l and is made of insulating material as are the other formsof sockets. Such material may be a phenolic condensation product or a more recent product bywhich varying degrees of resilience can be given to the molded base.

The invention is illustrated as a base adapted to receive an asymmetrical five prong tube, although the number of channels and the position of each is determined by the type of tube and number and disposition of prongs and does not affect the invention herein. V

In the form of invention shown in Figs. 3-8 inclusive, the contact base has a plurality of generally axially extending apertures extending completely through the base. The apertures each comprising an upper relatively narrow prong receiving channel or guide ii of proper proportions as to receive a contact prong, communicating with an enlarged contact-guiding and receiving channel I! of proper proportion as to receive a female contact, said channels being separated by a short transverse shoulder or stop 20. In the preferred form the prong apertures 16 are disposed in and in part comprise an annular groove 24 having the upper inclined guide surfaces'25. Channel I! is in communication with lateral guide recesses l8 extending radially from each side of the channel and which extend parallel to the axis of the channel Il, generally normal to both the upper and the lower face of the base from the lower face to a point between the upper and lower faces at which the guide recesses terminate by reason of the inclined or sloped surface 2| leading inwardly radially of the channels I! substantially to the peripheral surface thereof and defining the supporting or anchoring ledge 22.

the lower surface of the annular groove 24completed by the raised upstanding separating leakage-minimizing barriers 21 of any desired height within the groove. A solid column 26 of mate- The latter forms in part.

rial integral with the base lies between longitudinal guide recesses of adjacent contact receiving channels I 1.

It will be understood that any of the contacts of Figs. 1, 2 or 10 can be inserted axially from the bottom of the base into the appropriate channel I! with the tongues or detents l3 aligned with the respective guide recesses I8 in which they will be received as the contact passes upwardly into the base. As the tongues or detents l3 engage the inclined walls 2| they will be bent inwardly against their resilience until they are,

momentarily, within the peripheral bounds of the body of the contactyduring the further axial movement of the body to bring the lower edges of the detents l3 above the edge of the ledge. As soon as clearance is secured. which is substantially at the same time that the upper end of the contact body abuts or impinges against the stop shoulder 20, the detents spring outwardly, in the clearance afforded by the set back barriers 21, and overlie the ledges 22 to lock the contacts in non-retractible supported position. Obviously the clearance permitting axial floating of the contact in the base after locked insertion may ,be varied as required.

Although it is preferredto slope surfaces 2| leading to ledge 22, this is not essential as the angular disposition and resilience of the tongues H of the contacts is such that they would ride up on any form of protuberance or projection in the guide channel to ultimate reexpansion over the ledge substantially regardless of the angular relation of the surface 2| and the wall or the guide recess l8.

The outer circumferential wall of the molded base is indicated at 23, the inner circumferential wall at 30. A recess 3| in the finished base saves on the material comprising the base. The re cess 3| in the finished base, however, may be completely filled without departing from the invention herein. In such case there would be a central island of insulating material between the channels.

In the contacts, Figs. 9, 10, 11, the body porminimize capacity effects between contacts and the connectors, soldered or attached thereto at 26' or 6|. The prolongation or tail of Fig. 1 may be used as irf'Fig. 15 so that the conducting wire may be soldered in the reentrant groove.

Referring to Fig. 9, the tongues I! are formed by tabs extending out of the metalof the body portion 10 and bent outward anddownward. .In this constructionthe tongues l3, when inserted in the molded base, cannot be brought into alignment with the body portion. They become parallel to the body portion under pressure and spring outward when released. The tongue I! of Fig. 10 is the same as in Figs. 1 and 2, but is located higher on the body portion. In Fig. 11 the tongues 13 are each slit from the body adjacent the space H and project outward.

Referring to Figs. 12 to 15 inclusive, the top and the bottom respectively of a modified molded base 50 are indicated. The construction of Fig. 12 differs from Fig. 3 in that the annular groove 5| is wide and shallow. The groove 5| cannot provide the deep penetration and annular space of groove 24. In the construction of Fig. 12 there is also a deep central recess $2 for ornamental purposess. The upper channel 53 has two lateral longitudinal grooves 56. The two sets are separated by inclined guide face 51 leading to ledge I. The grooves 56 will accept the tongues l3,

but the movement of the contact upward is limited by the shoulder 20. The grooves 56 in the. channels 54 acceptthe tongues I3, constrict them at 51, and allow them to spring outward in the space 58 provided by grooves 55 below shoulder I0, and rest on the ledge 60. Thus the contact is located against movement in either direction. The cable connection 6! or 26' passes through hole in the soldering tail prolongation and is locked or soldered therein. If the contact is as shown in Fig. 1 the connector may lie in the groove on the reverse side of the soldering tail, 7

so as not to projectbeyond the lateral periphery oi the contact. This isas illustrated in Fig. 5.

It thus appears that the grooves 55 permit the space for the expansion of tongues l3 in the same manner that annular groove 24 provides such space in Figs. 3-8. 'It will be noted also that the embodiments of the invention in Figs. 18 and 19 have the same characteristic function of longitudinal grooves 64 and-65 as-in Figs. 14 and 15, and

provide the interval between the termination of longitudinal grooves 56 and 65 before the tongues I! come to rest on, the shoulders or ledges .63 and I respectively.

Figs. 17 and 18 represent views of a modified form of baseftoreceive the contact of Fig. 11;

The body of said contact readily enters the chan nel 54 and the single longitudinal channel 55 accepts the two almost parallel juxtaposed tongues. IS. The longitudinal channel 56 is constricted by a bevel at 62 leading to a ledge 53 over which the tongues l3 spring outward. The body of the contact I is limited. in its movement by engaging shoulder 20. In this embodiment the contact I, when installed, develops a slight lateral thrust, as when a prong is inserted, since it is suspended on two closely adjacent points at bottom of the base, and locked in place therein,

the complete molded socket is prepared for inin the groove 24 will bring the appropriate prongs into aligned juxta-positioned prong apertures to permit proper predetermined operative association of plug-in device and socket. The shallower groove 5| (Fig. 12) has a somewhat similar. function. In the embodiments of the invention, Figs. 1 to 8 inclusive, the tongues are released and permitted to spring outward'in the. space provided by the annular groove 26, and in the embodiments, Figs. 9 to 19, inclusive, the like space is provided by the longitudinal grooves 55, 64, 65 along the channels 53. In all embodimentsthe stop against downward movement is provided 'by ledges22, 60,- 63. When the contacts are inserted through the stallation in a panel, or the like either directly, or through the use of a supplemental, supporting device. In this connection,'itwill be understood e that the outer configuration or contour of the oneside by the adjacent tongues l3 supported on the ledge 63 at the bottom and on one point at the top byjtk side wall of the channel 53 lust beneath the shoulder 20.

Fig, 19 represents a section, on smaller scale, of the moldedbase with the inserted contact of Fig 9. As the tongues l3 of this embodiment are extended from the body of the contact ill, the longitudinal grooves 85 of the channels 53 and 54 are relatively deeper and, when the grooves are constricted atbevel 66, space is left so that both In all of the embodiments of the invention,

Figs.- 1-19, the. contact receiving channels have a greater digmeter than the prong receiving channels andj'thereby provide the stop-shoulder ll. The embodiments of Figs, 9-19 present longitudinal grooves along all channels. In Figs. 1-8 there are no grooves along channels l6 as the annular groove 24 serves the purpose. Groove 24 also affords a guide groove into which prongs are guided through contact with the inclined surface 25, pursuant to which mere, rotation of base, the number and spacing of the contact apertures, and the moldable materials used, are

all matters of no particular moment as far as this" invention is concerned and may be varied as rea quired by circumstances.

I claim as my invention: 1 l. A socket comprising a molded insulating base, having a plurality of prong receiving channels extending inwardly-from one'face in an annular seriesrand a plurality of contact receiving channels extending inwardly from the other face in an annular series concentric with the first mentioned series, each having a larger diameter than the respective first mentioned channel, the appropriate respective juxtaposed channels being substantially aligned axially to registering communication therebetween, in combination with a metal electrical contact in each of the second mentioned channels, each contact having a female aperture to receive a prong, a body and a spring member formed on said body, said base having.v a stop shoulder at the communication of each pair of aligned channels to prevent axial movement of the contact in one direction, an ah-B nular groove connecting said series of aligned 7 channels, a lateral recess formed in said base adaxial and communicating with the respective firstjacent each pairo'f aligned channels within said roove and an anchoring ledge within said recess" for engagement by said spring member to prevent axial movement of the contactin the other direction.

'2. A socket for electrical plug- -in devices," :com-

prising a moldedbase of insuiati'ngmaterial having a plurality of channels arranged in an annular series therein entering from one face, each having a contour for admitting a plug-in prong,

an annular groove intersecting and connecting said channels, secondary channels each entering from the other face each having a cent'our for admitting a metal contact and respectively comentioned channels, in combination with a metal contact in each of the last mentioned channels having lateral supporting lugs, an aperture in the body of each contact adapted to accept a prong, ledges formed in the annular groove to receive the respective lateral supporting lugs and barriers formed in said groove between adjacent ledges toprevent electrical leakage between the s of adjacent contacts. a

WILLIAM A. DAENZ.

the tube or other plug-in device with the prongs 

